July came and left quickly, but were so busy over here! Anyone else feel the same? I did a lot of cooking, meal planning and we’ve been trying to soak as much as the city has to offer. We took Noah on his first boat ride on the Water Taxi up and down the Chicago River, hitting off things on our Summer Bucketlist.

What We’ve Been up to:

We’ve been out and about around the city a lot. We are trying to explore as much as we can the third trimester tiredness hits 🙁 Everything from the petting zoo at the Lincoln Park Zoo to a picnic on the Chicago River with Noah.  This was so much fun! We grabbed food from the new food hall, Wells Street Market at FARE and watched the boats go by. He loved it!

The Water Taxi was another fun day and such great way to see the city. Even for non-tourists, I loved it. You can stay on it and ride it up and down the river.

I took my first Orange Theory class in collaboration with Under Armour at their store on Michigan Avenue and LOVED it! Surprisingly. To be honest, I was intimated and was a little nervous, but it’s actually very, very approachable! You are given a set of exercises to do in a certain time and everyone goes at their own pace, which is the best. It’s not competitive, just do what you can. Once I have the baby and get cleared for exercise, I want to really start taking classes.

I took my first overnight trip alone, no Manny or Noah. Just me! A little mom-cation. I loved it! I don’t know why it took so long to do it, but I would love one more before the baby arrives. It was nice just to recharge and have some “me time”. But you can read all about my experience at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort here. It wasn’t as easy to go as I initially thought it would be. Any moms can relate to this?

Alex from Sassy Confetti threw another #goodandsassy event for some local lifestyle bloggers at the Kelly Cardenas Salon in Wicker Park. The theme was “Bagel and Braids”, with catered brunch from Corner Bakery (best blueberry muffins). The salon has exceptional service and my beach waves turned out awesome. It’s always nice to get some girls together and get your hair done, it’s kind of the best right?

What I’ve been cooking:

It was my main priority this month to eat in and cook more. Not only does it save more money, it’s just generally better for you. So here’s what I have been cooking up this past month:

Salad with Rotisserie Chicken (3 in one 1 meals)

Homemade Pizza (Mariano’s)

Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi

Veggie Bowls with Sweet Potatoes

Broccoli, ground turkey and sweet potato bowls

My Mom’s Egg Salad

Is it crazy there are back to school ads already? It’s crazy. I feel like August is going to fly by, but I have so much to do to get ready for our baby girl! What have you guys been up to?

As always, thanks for following. You can follow me on Instagram or subscribe to weekly emails here.

Until next time,

Christine